Hidden Houses of Wales
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen visits some of the finest houses in Wales, stepping back in time to uncover their hidden stories.
Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen goes to Iscoyd Park - an extraordinary Georgian mansion sitting on the border between Mid Wales and England. He meets a young couple who've taken a massive financial risk transforming their ancestral home into a luxurious boutique wedding venue to ensure their heritage survives.
Today, Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen is at Cresselly - a huge Georgian mansion in Pembrokeshire in which the Allen family have lived for the past 300 years. Laurence discovers the house was built with proceeds of St Anne's lighthouse and where a former resident would climb a rope to reach his bedroom every night.
Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen turns his attention to Soughton House - a completely renovated Georgian mansion on the outskirts of Mold in North East Wales. Laurence discovers how the rags-to-riches story of its current owner, former brickie and building magnate David McLean, has copied the history of its previous owner.
Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen is at Plas Talhenbont - a 17th century mansion on the Lleyn Peninsula. It's a house currently owned by an Essex-born family who went in search of the good life in Wales, only to spend a lifetime renovating their dream property.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen visits Trevor Hall, a fine Georgian mansion on the outskirts of Llangollen in north-east Wales. During a historical journey of discovery, Laurence finds out how Trevor Hall was saved from dereliction and transformed into a pop music mogul's personal pleasure palace.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen turns his attention to Plas Llanmihangel - an impressive Elizabethan manor house in the Vale of Glamorgan. During his historical journey of discovery, Laurence meets the couple who have spent the past 20 years battling to restore a building with a very colourful past.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen visits Glynllifon - a huge neo-classical mansion near Caernarfon in Gwynedd. Laurence discovers that the vast estate was once home to one of the country's most powerful, and colourful, aristocratic families. He meets the young couple who are battling to restore this crumbling Goliath to its former regal glory.
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen turns his attention to Plas Penmynydd - a medieval mansion house in the heart of rural Anglesey. Laurence makes the remarkable discovery that this country house was actually the birthplace of the royal dynasty that spawned Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. There is certainly nothing mock-Tudor about this house.
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| Language | English |
| Release | 2010-01-04 |
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